


The Ropes and The Reins

by crimsonandclover



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: A lil fluff, F/F, Rivals to Lovers, Rodeo AU, a lil smut, and lots of horses!!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:35:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29651418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonandclover/pseuds/crimsonandclover
Summary: Jamie plans to spend her Saturday competing in a barrel racing event at a local rodeo and not much else. She doesn't plan for Dani Clayton to trot her way on into her heart instead.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 14
Kudos: 59





	The Ropes and The Reins

**Author's Note:**

> So I think the last chapter of LBHB broke my brain a little bit and I had to take a wee break and then got talking to annamorris (who also beta’d this like a true angel) about fics and how I wanted to see the girls as equestrians (as u do) because Dani has horse girl energy (affectionate) and then this happened. Pls forgive any gaps in my knowledge I only know a teeny bit about rodeos in small town NZ and haven’t been on a horse in years. But as they say, yeehaw. I hope u enjoy.

Jamie can tell it’s going to be a sweltering day. Blue sky stretching endlessly, and the sun already burning hot at mid-morning. She rolls her window down and is hit with a warm breeze, speaking to the parking lot attendant as briefly as possible to find out where she needs to go and accepting the map he hands her. She takes a moment to study it before weaving through the lines of vehicles to pull into a spot beside a powder blue double cab. A short pinto horse is being walked out of a float by a girl with golden blonde hair as a dark-haired girl watches on.

Lily, her bay mare, tosses her head and snorts at her when Jamie climbs in the front of her float to check she’s still secure.

“Alright, miss, hold your horses,” Jamie soothes as she pats Lily’s neck. She ducks back out and lets the ramp down. Lily backs out with practiced expertise, and Jamie walks her in a quick loop, letting her stretch her legs after the journey. She ties the lead to the front under the best spot of shade and pulls out her water and food containers, making sure she’s got a little of both before cleaning out the back of the float and re-securing the ramp.

Jamie rests against the fender, studying the map she’d been handed to orient herself. She has about two hours until her event starts and begins mentally planning her time between now and then. Her thoughts are interrupted as a truck pulls in beside her, a little too fast and cutting a little too close for comfort, if she’s being honest.

“Watch it,” she bites at the vehicle, raising a steadying hand to Lily’s muzzle as her head flicks up. A tall, blond-haired man steps out of the vehicle, and Jamie scowls at him before returning to her maps, ignoring Lily trying to chew on her hair.

“Peter!” she hears from the other side of her float, and watches as the dark-haired girl she’d seen as she pulled in walks past to talk to him.

“Hey, Bex,” he greets her. Jamie ignores the rest of their conversation in favour of her paperwork, double checking the timetable before putting it away safely. She pulls some food out of the cab and starts munching as she checks over her gear.

“What are you here for?” a soft voice asks from beside her and Jamie looks up under the brim of her hat to see the tentative face of the blonde-with-the-pinto watching her, apparently having wandered over with her friend to say hello to the idiot beside her.

“Barrel racing,” Jamie answers around a mouth of granola bar, quickly returning to her task.

“Oh, neat,” the blonde responds. 

Neat? Jamie thinks. She really had moved to a whole new universe barely a few states over. 

“We’ll be competing against each other then. And Bex,” the blonde indicates her friend, who beams at Peter as he tells her some story, his hat tipped at a ridiculous angle on his head.

“Alright,” Jamie acknowledges, not really in the mood to chit-chat but noting the information away anyway.

“Are you new?” she asks. “Haven’t seen you around. We usually do the main Des Moines circuit. Don’t think I could forget a face like yours.”

Flirting, Jamie thinks, noting her tone. Is this a psychological strategy of these Iowan gals? 

“Just moved to Omaha,” Jamie finally answers. “Used to compete in Wyoming. Bit far to get back to from here though.”

She laughs, and it’s the most melodic sound Jamie has ever heard. But she does not have time to be falling in love with pretty cowgirls right now.

“Well, good luck,” the pretty cowgirl offers. “I’m Dani, by the way.”

Jamie nods, picks up her brush, and hopes Dani will leave her to it, relieved when she hears her talking to Bex as they walk back around to their own spot.

Lily leans into her touch as Jamie starts brushing her, checking her over as she goes and picking out her hooves. A clattering beside her makes her look up, and she watches the man beside her walk a stocky grey gelding down the ramp before tying him up and walking off.

“Idiot,” Jamie mutters, noting the lack of water the poor fellow was probably in need of on such a warm day. Not her business, she thinks, biting her lip, though planning to go over with a spare bucket if he didn’t fix the situation soon.

She leans against the fender again, letting Lily relax for a bit as she checks her phone and keeps an eye on things. Luckily, he returns within a few moments, eventually pulling out a bucket for his horse, and Jamie lets herself relax.

She finally decides it’s time to get saddled up and head over to start warming up. It’s been a while since she’s really competed, dedicating most of her time to the stables she’d been teaching at across the six months since her move, but she missed it so much that she found this event nearby and requested the time off so she could participate, the familiar nerves and excitement quickly flooding back.

The methodical system she follows to get all her gear on soothes her somewhat, and she soon has everything buckled, ducking back into her vehicle to quickly change into clean jeans and a flannel, tugging her boots back on after and checking her hat is on straight in the wing mirror.

“You ready, sweetheart?” Jamie coos to Lily, making sure everything is secure one last time before she starts leading her to the track towards the warm-up area.

“Heading over?” comes the voice to her right as she starts the walk, reins looped loosely around her hand.

Jamie looks up, noting Dani with her pinto and Bex with a palomino saddled up and ready to leave. Dani’s saddle blanket has tassels all round the edge and Jamie can’t help but be a little endeared.

Jamie nods in answer, slowing down only slightly.

“We’ll come with,” Dani adds. “Hey, Bex this is…” she trails off, as if realising she doesn’t actually know Jamie’s name.

“Jamie,” she says, nodding hello to Bex.

“Jamie,” Dani repeats, and it sounds so much better out of her mouth. “And…?” she asks, indicating towards her horse.

“Lily,” Jamie confirms.

“Pretty,” Dani beams. “This is Emerson,” she reaches up to scratch her pinto’s forehead. “And Bex is on Vincent,” she points.

Dani has changed out of the lavender shirt she’d been wearing into a pink flannel shirt, a tan hat squashed down over her loose hair, and Jamie suppresses a smile at the softness of it all, wondering how she and sweet-looking Emerson really fare in such a rough sport. Bex isn’t much more intimidating, somehow even shorter than both Dani and Jamie, and barely reaching past Vincent’s shoulder, all soft skin and flowy hair. Jamie should know better than to count them out based on appearance, but a part of her can’t help it.

The four of them fall into step with Jamie, and she tries her best to simply listen as Dani and Bex chat and say hello to familiar faces as they walk down the lane. Dani only directs a few questions her way, asking her how she was liking the Iowan climate, if training has been going well, and Jamie keeps her answers short.

They finally reach the warm-up area and check in. Jamie scans the schedule and finds she’s in the third group, second to go, and Dani only follows two spots behind her, the second to last to compete. She hadn’t really dug into the scene here, wasn’t too sure of what the other competitors would be like, and doesn’t really recognise any of the names. She decides it’s not important anyway, that she just needs to focus on Lily and herself and putting out the best performance they can.

Jamie finally climbs aboard her horse, somehow having lost Dani, Bex, and the boys in the last few moments but not really caring. She starts a slow lap of the arena, letting Lily get used to the sights and the sounds and the smells and Jamie on her back before nudging her into an easy trot on the second loop. She finds some space and runs her through some loose figure eights, gradually bringing them in tighter to warm up her seat and Lily’s spine for the tight turns.

Being in the saddle has always felt right to Jamie. When everything else in the world is out of control, she can always tack up and ride and everything would slot itself back into place. The easy movement beneath her, the familiar smell of horse and tack and dirt and the ease of communication between their bodies soothes any nerves Jamie felt building. She takes another quick loop around the area, taking brief note of the other competitors, letting the noise from the nearby competition roll over her. She runs Lily through a few more warm-up moves, making sure she is nice and loose and that they’re fully in sync before leading her over to a water trough for a quick drink.

There are barrels set up at one end of the arena and a handful of other competitors taking turns running through them. Jamie watches for a moment, watches the technique and speed of them, lost in thought until she sees a familiar pink flannel line up for a turn. Dani and Emerson are impressive, the sharpness of their turns evident even at a fairly conservative speed. Jamie swiftly reconsiders her analysis of ‘soft.’

Jamie takes another lap of the arena, runs through another few turns and then lines up for a run through of the barrels. Lily’s pace picks up a little as they get near. She loves this kind of eventing, and Jamie feels her own excitement growing with the prick of Lily’s ears and the increasing swiftness of her step. She holds her back for their first run through, only letting her take a quick trot and letting them both adjust to the pattern. Their next few turns, interspersed with others also waiting in line, she lets her pick up the pace, still not as quick as she can go but urging her on and leaning harder into the turns each time.

Jamie is slightly out of breath on their last run, and she slows Lily to an easy walk for another lap of the arena to cool them both down a bit. An organiser starts calling for the first group to file through to the holding area, and Jamie’s nerves spike again. She returns her focus to herself and her horse and gives herself a small pep talk.

She busies them both with easy exercises again until the announcer finally calls for the last group, and they can head to the holding area. The space is a little crowded with six of them, and Jamie concentrates on keeping Lily moving easily as she waits for her turn. She pulls to a halt when the person before her is called, simply sitting and stroking Lily’s neck, speaking to her in a low voice to keep them both calm. She can see the rider ahead of her through the gaps in the fence, and she tries very hard not to watch and lose her focus. She can’t help but look up when the crowd gasps though, and she sees one of the barrels fall over. A crushing time penalty no one wants to gain.

They call her name and Jamie directs Lily to the open gate. She takes a pause, lets Lily settle, focuses on the first barrel, and then nudges her heels into her belly. Lily takes off like a shot, Jamie holds her seat and the reins loose, urging her on ‘til the last second when she pulls back and leans them hard into the first turn. 

They burst into the next sprint, hooves flying and focus narrowed on the next barrel. They take the turn sharply. Almost too sharply, Jamie thinks, as her foot nudges the barrel, and she hopes against all odds it’s not enough to topple it. She doesn’t have time to think about it, though, as they sprint toward the last barrel. 

She’s low in the saddle, reins held out well in front of her as she grips her seat with her other hand. The last turn is a little wide, and they come out of it further from the barrel than Jamie would like, but Lily sprints home with determination, and she thinks it’s been an almost perfect round.

Jamie tugs hard on the reins once they’ve crossed the finish line, pulling Lily up as they barrel back towards the open gate. They exit at a trot, and Jamie thinks she can hear the announcer say 17-something seconds as they slow to a total halt. Not her absolute best time, but something to be proud of no doubt. 

She strokes Lily’s neck, telling her what a good girl she is, and nudges her back into a slow walk, letting the reins hang loose, and letting their breathing settle. She does a few circles outside the holding area, finding a quiet space as she listens to the final few competitors.

She hears a 19.125 for the next person, then an 18.995, and then she knows Dani is up. She can hear the crowd cheering enthusiastically as she watches intently through the gaps in the fence. Dani looks good, taking the turns quickly as Emerson barrels along at an incredible pace. As she heads back towards the exit the announcer reads out her time of 17.245. Jamie’s not sure who had actually come out ahead here, and she decides to stick around for the final results to find out.

The next competitor sets a 20.453 time, with a five second penalty for a barrel knocked over. There’s a few moments pause as the announcer checks over the times, and then he announces the final results: Andrea in third, Jamie in second, and Dani Clayton in first. The crowd bursts into cheers again, and Jamie is thrilled.

She starts an easy walk back to her float, ready to clean both of them off and get some well-earned food into them.

Dani catches up with her just outside the warm-up area as she’s dismounting.

“Nice work,” she says with a smile.

“Same to you,” Jamie says, trying not to notice the way Dani swings her leg over the saddle as she dismounts.

They start the walk back to their vehicles at a slow pace, horses moving in sync as they chat.

“Are you staying?” Dani asks. “For the prizegiving and the compulsory celebrating and all of that?”

“Maybe for a bit,” Jamie answers, after a second of consideration.

“This your first rodeo on this circuit, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I think you should really get to know all the cow guys and gals and non-binary pals here the traditional way,” she says, with a cheeky grin. “Whiskey. Lots of it,” she clarifies. “A welcome to the family. And a runner up prize. My treat.”

Jamie hesitates. She’d planned on getting back tonight. She’d planned on not getting too attached to this crowd, like she’d always preferred to do. She’d planned on collecting her prize money and running. She’d not planned on a charming blonde in a pink flannel shirt to interrupt her plans.

“There’s plenty of space for Lily,” Dani adds, the one thing that might have given Jamie an out, if she really wanted it. “Stalls out back. I’ve got the inside hook-up if you need it.”

Jamie finally agrees, giving up easily on the battle in her own head. Tells Dani, “ok,” and relishes in the beaming smile she gets in return. They’re back at their floats at this point. Bex is already there and congratulates them both when Dani tells her their results.

Jamie heads away quickly, focuses on getting Lily untacked and brushed down and into her food.

“You happy to stay here tonight, sweets?” she asks her, scratching her behind the ears. She takes the responding flick of her tail as a ‘yes.’

Dani ducks around the back of her float when she’s done, hands her a cup with ice and brown liquid in it. Where she had managed to get ice in the middle of a rodeo ground Jamie is not sure, but she thinks Dani might be a bit magic, so she just accepts it and raises her glass to Dani, clinking it together with the one she has in her own hand, and knocks it back. The whiskey stings a bit, and she bites her teeth together. But it makes Dani smile, and maybe that’s not so bad.

“We’re gonna go watch the rest of the events if you want to join?” she asks. “After we get the boys settled.”

Jamie nods, collects the extra food she’ll need for Lily overnight and follows Dani back down the lane with Lily in tow. There’s a reasonably sized paddock near the stables, and they let the horses loose while they set up their accommodations. The stalls are small but tidy and Jamie thinks her girl should be alright in here overnight after a quick inspection.

The three of them stand and chat for a bit while they watch their horses get to know each other. Jamie learns a bit more about the both of them. That they’ve been competing together since high school, that Dani is a teacher and Bex is a lawyer, and that Emerson is the love of Dani’s life. Jamie doesn’t offer much in response, only that she’s been working with horses since forever and that Lily keeps her sane when nothing else will.

Eventually, Bex checks the time and says they should really get moving if they want to catch Peter competing. Jamie bites her tongue at the mention of his name but notices Dani stiffen a little as well, so maybe she’s not so wrong in her very brief assessment of him. They lead their ponies into their stalls, and Jamie presses a quick kiss to Lily’s muzzle before letting her settle in for the night. She can hear Dani murmuring to Emerson next door, catching the words “sweet boy” and “my love” as she exits.

The sun is still beating down when they make it back to the arena, and Jamie is glad she managed to slap on an extra layer of sunscreen. Dani directs them toward a spot in the stands, and Jamie doesn’t even mind when she presses her hand to her lower back to point it out.

They pick up some food and drinks on the way up and sit munching on fries and drinking beer while they watch the final events of the day.

Peter, as it turns out, is into steer roping, and Jamie has to admit he’s got quite a talent for it. She watches the competitors closely, cringing at missed throws and cheering quick catches. Peter ends up in third place, and Jamie can see from up in the stands that he’s not too happy about it. Seems on-track, she thinks.

The final event is the bull riding, and Jamie is glad when Dani suggests they head towards the meeting room where the prizegiving would be instead of watching. She’s got a small buzz from the beer, and her skin heats up in a way she wishes it wouldn’t when Dani takes her hand to guide her through a crowd of people.

The meeting room turns out to be right beside the bar, and Dani ducks through the doors to grab them all drinks as they find a seat. The room is already reasonably crowded, cowboy hats perched atop of most patrons’ heads, with denim and flannel-clad bodies as far as the eye can see.

Dani slides a glass in front of her, whiskey on ice, as promised, and then another. A glass of water. 

Thoughtful, Jamie acknowledges as she thanks her and takes a long pull of the water. She nurses the whiskey, taking in their surroundings, watching as person after person comes to talk to Dani and Bex, and she’s introduced to the best of the best on the circuit. Finally, someone starts the prizegiving properly, announcing events and names and handing out certificates and trophies and envelopes. Jamie accepts hers with a strong handshake and tilts her mouth into the smallest of smiles while they photograph her, Dani, and Andrea.

Dani keeps her word, buying her drinks all night and staying close, the chair she’s in at their high table tucked right beside Jamie’s. She keeps turning to say things quietly in Jamie’s ear as she talks about the people around them, adding quiet little tidbits of information that Jamie would be able to focus on if Dani’s proximity and warm breath weren’t driving her to distraction.

Peter joins them eventually, and Dani whispers something about the long-standing casual relationship between Bex and Peter. 

“Pretty normal to have yourself a cowboy to hook up with at these events round here too then?” Jamie asks, and watches the way Dani’s eyes move to her lips when she only pokes her tongue out between her teeth and grins in response.

Pleasantly buzzed at this point, Jamie has been drinking responsibly but feels loose and happy and sleepy. She’s met just about everyone she needs to meet, and the long day of driving and competing is starting to catch up to her. It’s just after 10:30, she realises, well past her normal bedtime and not too early to say her goodbyes and set up in the bed of her truck to sleep this day off.

“I’ll come with,” Dani offers when Jamie bids her goodnight, and she hops off her stool to follow.

Dani links their arms together when they get out into the warm night air, guiding her down the track back to their vehicles. She’s a little tipsy and giggly herself, and Jamie finds herself so content to be in her company.

“Are you alright? For sleep stuff?” Dani asks when they get close enough.

Jamie nods. “’M always prepared.”

And the night is so gently quiet and the stars are so twinkly amongst the black of night and Dani is so pretty and golden and alive, and when she leans in to kiss Jamie, she’s definitely not prepared for that.

Dani tastes like whiskey, and her lips are so soft, and Jamie’s hands wind around her back and pull her in close. Her hat gets knocked off by Dani’s, but she doesn’t even care.

Dani breathes against her mouth and asks, “Your truck or mine?” in a voice that makes Jamie shiver, and she pulls Dani by the hand to her flatbed. 

She has never set up her sleeping mat so fast.

They climb onto the back of the truck, and Dani traces the outline of her jaw before she kisses her again, kisses her like Jamie’s the only person that exists. Jamie pulls her down flat, grateful for the small bit of privacy the walls of the truck give them, and rolls Dani onto her back. She kisses her mouth and her jaw and her neck and delights at the noises Dani makes when she does. Her hands creep up under Dani’s shirt, caressing the soft skin of her torso and making her sigh into her mouth.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jamie asks between kisses.

“Mmhmm,” Dani reassures her, pulling her in for another kiss.

Dani feels so warm underneath her, and Jamie delights in exploring her body, running hands over soft skin and slowly removing her clothing. When she has her down to just her underwear, slightly cool night air slipping in under the blankets she’d draped over them to soothe hot skin, Dani flips her over and returns the favour, and Dani in charge sends a warm feeling through her belly.

They’re a bit limited on what they can do in the space on the back of her truck, but Dani is a magician with her hands and has Jamie falling apart in a matter of minutes, hand wrapping over her mouth to stifle her gasps and moans. Jamie thinks the feeling of Dani panting above her, strong thighs holding steady around her waist as she rides Jamie’s hand, silhouetted against the night sky full of stars, is the greatest thing she’ll ever experience.

After, Jamie helps her find her shirt to tug back on and tucks them both under the blanket, curled in close, happy and satiated.

\--

Jamie wakes up with sweet-smelling blonde hair in her face, arms wrapped around the warm body in front of her. The sun is just starting to peek up over the horizon and she knows it must be early, debates the merits of staying wound around this delight of a girl or getting a start to her day and all her travels already. She lets Dani’s gently breathing lull her back to sleep.

When she wakes up a second time Dani is facing her, eyes soft on her face, and she lights up when she notices Jamie is awake.

“Morning,” she says sweetly.

“Morning,” Jamie returns.

“So,” she starts, “what’s it like to sleep with a winner?”

Jamie can’t help the laugh that erupts from her throat, crushes the cheeky grin off Dani’s face with a kiss which quickly leads to a heated embrace that makes Jamie’s head spin. She ducks her head up over the top of the truck walls, checking to see who is around and who might hear what they’re about to do. The coast seems to be clear. Most of the vehicles have cleared out and it’s still fairly early, so any stragglers are probably still asleep. Still, she knows they’ll have to be quiet. A risk she’s willing to take, if she’s being honest.

Jamie rolls Dani on to her back and kisses her lips and her cheeks and her jaw. She slots her leg in between Dani’s and applies slight pressure, welcoming her panting into her mouth at the contact. She starts a slow roll of their hips together, holding Dani’s face carefully between her hands and swallowing the quiet noises Dani makes. 

Jamie slips her hand down and starts to work her fingers against her, feeling her hips start to roll in time with her movements, watching the way her face flushes as she gets closer. When she comes she moans, low and needy in her throat, and her eyes flutter shut and her back arches and Jamie thinks it might be the most beautiful thing she’s ever witnessed. Jamie kisses her through her high, gentle and reassuring against her cheek and her neck and her lips.

“So,” Jamie asks, withdrawing her hand and tucking the blankets back around them again “what’s it like to sleep with a silver medallist?”

Dani laughs.

It’s not a totally unfamiliar dance, having to pack up her truck from an overnight stay in it, but helping a cute blonde down from her truck bed certainly changes things up. Dani kisses her goodbye when she’s standing on solid ground again and Jamie starts the familiar process.

Lily is very happy to see her, or maybe it’s just the breakfast Jamie has in her hands, and Jamie gives her plenty of love and attention before leading her back to the truck. She’s just about to pull out of her parking spot after getting Lily settled inside when Dani starts walking towards her, motioning to wind down the window.

“Will you be at Sidney Rodeo? Next month,” Dani asks, a shy grin on her lips.

“Uhuh,” Jamie nods.

“See you there,” Dani says, and leans in the window to kiss her firmly on the mouth. “I’ll be the one in first place again.”

Jamie laughs, shakes her head, and starts down the track for the long drive home.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I don’t think Dani has really reached her full horse girl potential here so if anyone with more knowledge or just more time to do research wants to write her as like an eventer doing dressage or something please take it and run with it I would love u forever. GIVE HER A SEXY HORSE GIRL BRAID.  
> Anyway Dani and Jamie are lesbian icons and would absolutely carve up on the rodeo circuit we know this. Horse girls lemme hear y’all make some noise in the comments! or come say hi on tumblr @briightcopperkettles!


End file.
